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NEWS
2013 Day of the Seafarer
Spare a thought for the more than 1.5 million seafarers plying the world's oceansApologies the world over. For yesterday (June 25) was the third International Day of the Seafarer, an official observance day acknowledged by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United Nations' specialised agency responsible for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine pollution by ships at sea.
This year, IMO is celebrating the occasion with a social-media campaign calling on all supply-chain partners, including those beyond the maritime sector, to help highlight the sheer diversity and scale of products used in everyday life that travel by sea, and to recognise the importance of the people that deliver them -- more than 1.5 million seafarers worldwide!
For the annual Day of the Seafarer message, IMO Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu said: “Seafarers operate on the ‘front line’ of the shipping industry, and this year’s campaign theme, Faces of the Sea, aims to highlight the individuals that are often unseen, but who work to deliver more than 90 per cent of the world’s goods.
"We will ask the seafarers themselves to show us snapshots of their daily life at sea, to give them a voice and share their story on a global stage, via social media,” Mr Sekimizu added.
Mr. Sekimizu noted that 2013 is a landmark year for the seafaring community, as the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC 2006) enters into force in August. This marks significant progress in the recognition of seafarers’ roles and the need to safeguard their well-being and working conditions.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also highlighted the Day of the Seafarer, with a special message urging everyone to remember the contribution of seafarers to world trade and development.
“On the Day of the Seafarer, I urge everyone to spare a thought for those courageous seafarers, men and women from all corners of the world, who face danger and tough working conditions to operate today’s complex, highly technical ships, every hour of every day of the year -- and on whom we all depend,” he said.
Faces of the Sea is an innovative campaign that harnesses the power of social media to raise awareness of seafarers and their unique role. Everyone was invited to join the campaign online, from individual seafarers right through to the largest shipping companies. See the photos at http://www.facebook.com/IMOHQ; tweets at @IMOHQ and @SeafarerDay using hashtag #thankyouseafarer; and videos on Youtube.com/IMOHQ.
And to all those seafarers, we tilt our hats, even if 12 hours belatedly.
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Written byBoatsales Staff
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